Union of Realms
by Justicar77
Summary: Mysteriously, one day, the nations of Endaria, Noveia, Canda, and the Coalition of Nations find them transported to the world of Azeroth. But the question is further raised, was their world the only world thrown into Azeroth?
1. Part I

**18th of Talusz, 6E219**

**Ivory Palace,Caer Endaris, Royal Rejionowa**

**~22:00**

The gentle ocean breeze from the port kept the balcony cool. Endarius Teledor, his Royal Majesty, High King and Prime Trimarch of the Endarian Imperial Republic and Commonwealth Territories, stood upon the balcony, watching the moonlight glint across the Bay of Dalatar. The clean streets of the capital and the ocean air gave the city a clean atmosphere that appealed to all the senses. More than a hundred ships and boats in the massive bay was the proof that the city was healthy with trade. The magically charged Ley Crystals mounted intermittently along the streets of the city glowed a dull whitish blue, giving the city life even at night. Night owls and the occasional night worker can be seen meandering through the streets. Endarius sighs and smiles softly. This week was a slow one, but that was a relief after the ceaseless months of paperwork and statesmanship that were part and parcel of leading a massive empire.

"Come to bed, hun. The bed is cold without you." A female voice interrupts his thoughts. Endarius looks over his shoulder into the bedroom. His wife, a lovely, curvy lady with brown locks and deep sea green eyes was sitting on her side, looking at him from the bed. Endarius smiles.

"Of course. I was just admiring the sea and stars. Sorry to keep you waiting." He speaks softly and walks back inside, closing the doors and joining his wife.

Had he stayed outside a few moments longer, Endarius would have noticed a sudden change in the night sky, as if the night sky had become a wholly new night sky.

**19th of Talusz, 6E219**

**Ivory Palace, Caer Endaris, Royal Rejionowa**

**~20:00**

Endarius stood outside the palace, looking up at the night sky. Where once there had been a sky of sparse stars and three moons, now there were many more stars, and one moon.

"Any clue what's going on, Master Clausewitz?" Endarius asks the man beside him, one of the lead astronomers from the Royal Academy. The white haired, older man shakes his head.

"No, sir. It's like a completely new sky. I doubt our position has shifted that much though." Clausewitz responds, perplexed.

"That would also fail to explain how we went from three small moons to one larger moon." Endarius ponders as he watches the milk white satellite hover above.

"Aye… How do we intend to proceed sir?" Clausewitz inquires. Endarius chews his lip for a moment.

"Well, I don't want to declare a national emergency just yet, nothing wrong has happened. However, to prevent untoward distress from the public, I think I will have High King Formeri telling everyone not to worry in the morning though. Best to reassure the public while we figure out what the hell is happening here." Endarius replies after some time, scratching his beard. His brown beard was just beginning to show a couple grey hairs. He then looks at his guard.

"Captain Kabarov, tell the Citadel to assemble a full conference tomorrow at noon and that I will be in attendance." Endarius orders his guard. Captain Kabarov salutes and then rushes off to do as he is told. He then looks back at Clausewitz. "Though, best to be on guard."

"Sounds like the best you can do at present." Clausewitz agrees, nodding.

"I won't keep you, Master Clausewitz. Get back to the Academy." Endarius dismisses Clausewitz.

"Yes, sir. Have a nice night." Clausewitz bids his farewell and leaves. Endarius looks back up at the sky and sighs.

"Guess I won't get a lighter workload after all..." He mutters.

**20th of Talusz, 6E219**

**The Citadel, Caer Endaris, Royal Rejionowa**

**~12:00**

The room was massive. An enormous, oval room with a large oval table in the middle. Seated at it were various military men, most of them clearly middle aged or older. They talked quietly among themselves. Suddenly, the large, fortified oak doors at the end of the room swing open and High King Endarius Teledor strides in, his presence silencing the room. He is dressed in red and violet and silver livery, and a sword equally elegant as functional hung at his waist. While less decorated, the military men were dressed in uniforms of similar style, a double breasted coat that was long in back and short in front, with folded cuffs and a Mandarin collar.

Endarius takes his seat and looks around the table. He nods to each of the present members in greeting and sets a stack of papers on the table. Servants rush out and pour for each person at the table a glass of Whiskey and a glass of water.

"Well, as you all can probably guess, this meeting has been assembled to discuss how to proceed with the rather… perplexing situation that has become the sky." Endarius opens up, deciding to forgo formalities. He was never a fan of formalities. He was a soldier before he became a Trimarch and as such, preferred a direct procedure.

"The Republic of Canda contacted us early this morning, sir. Apparently they are experiencing a similar dilemma. They also informed us that the Tsardom of Noveia had contacted them the day before and that they too were experiencing this phenomenon." A younger uniformed man pipes up from a ways down the table. A name plate on the table labeled him as Brigadier General Ernst Voehlern and his position as General of Military Communications. Endarius nods.

"So we can presume that this is universal. What about the coalition states to the east?" Endarius inquires.

"Only a few have reported in, but it's affirmative across the board. So we can assume the whole continent is experiencing this. I also finished around midnight last night in getting reports from the island provinces, as well as Gdanzaw, Sugari Boshi, and Markesia. All are experiencing the same thing as well." General Voehlern reports.

"In that case, we can assume this can't be an attack from Canda, the Coalition, or the Noveians. However, just to be careful..." Endarius directs hi attention to an older man. "General Wolynic, I want you to put your 7th Army on standby." Endarius orders the man. His nameplate labels him as General Kasimir Wolynic of the 7th Army. General Wolynic nods and salutes in response. "Also, Admiral Sarraf, have your 12th Fleet on standby." Endarius continues. A grey haired, olive skinned man, labeled as Admiral Abbas Sarraf of the 12th Fleet bows his head.

"The Intelligence Department would also like to report that we have confirmed that the Ley readings have shifted. Not domestically, but long range scrying and tests confirm that Ley levels have increased in a number of locations overseas. For that reason, we wish to propose that an expedition be sent to investigate these changes." A middle aged man labeled Lieutenant General Andrei Komarovich, General of Intelligence, speaks up.

"Granted, General." Endarius replies simply. "Organize it as you see fit."

The conference continues for another hour and a half as details and information is traded. Finally, everyone is dismissed to go about their responsibilities.

**14th of Rajiona, 6E219**

**ERS Equinas, High Seas**

**~15:00**

Matou chews his lip as he watches the land approach. They were still a ways out, but he had excellent vision, and could make out the dense tree line. He sits on the bow of the ship, thinking on what may be there. This was new land, for sure. He looks down at the report in his hands. It was handed to him less than an hour before the ship set out from Mutsudo in the Sugari Boshi Commonwealth. It was a simple report. Apparently Canda and Noveia had also sent out expeditions and as the attached agent on this mission, it was his duty to keep an eye out for these expeditions. Of course, with new land, the expedition could get rather… interesting. New land meant the possibility of other people and that of course meant competition in diplomacy with the other expeditions. Perhaps even hostilities.

Matou eventually gets up and heads below deck. He dresses into some long, padded black leather armor. Best to be ready for the worst, and they would be landing in the next hour or two. He looks over across the way. The expedition leader, a tall, blond haired beast of a man seemed to have the same idea as him. He nods in greeting to Matou.

"Matou." He says simply in greeting, as he slings his 5 foot long greatsword across his back. Unlike Matou, he preferred the protection of a full set of plate mail.

"Leonhard." Matou responds. He straps a katana to his side and slings an all black short spear on his back, along with a set of arrows and a longbow.

"What do you think we will find ashore?" Leonhard asks.

"Doubtful that we will find much at first. It looked like a swamp, based on the squat trees and multiple sources of water feeding into the ocean. Also, the ocean is taking on that ugly green brown color characteristic of swamp mud." Matou voices his opinion.

"So you think we aren't in too much danger at landfall?" Leonhard inquires further.

"Well, maybe not from civilized sources, if there are any. But swamps are always dangerous. Easy to sink in mud, dangerous animals, poisonous animals, et cetera." Matou comments plainly. He grabs a green ribbon and ties his long hair into a short ponytail to make it harder to grab. Just as a precaution. Leonhard nods and watches him.

"You know, you should cut your hair. Short hair is even safer than tying it back." Leonhard comments, rubbing his head. His blond hair was no longer than half an inch on top, and fully trimmed to the roots on the sides. But, Matou simply shakes his head.

"Harder to grow hair than cut hair if you need a disguise." Matou replies plainly.

"Touche."

The both of them then head up. By now the ship was close enough that it was very clear that they were approaching a swamp. Leonhard goes to prepare the Royal Marines for landfall. Matou meanwhile goes to help out the sailors prepare the dinghies.

**~17:00**

**Swamp, ?**

Leonhard is the first off the boat. His greaves and armor have him sink about an inch in the mud. He curses. They should have rowed farther inland. The rest of the group gets off the dinghies and pulls the boats out of the water. Matou has already moved into the trees a little way to survey the area. Leonhard checks his men to make sure everyone is in good shape to go. There were four dinghies, each with six men. Matou was technically independent of his command, so he had 22 men under his command.

"Since the day is getting old already, let's just head inland a little ways and set up camp." Leonhard resolves, and so the group heads on. The marines keep the chatter to a minimum, in case orders have to be given quickly, as well as so they can keep their ears open for any dangers. They walk on for a little before sunset before stopping in a drier spot that Matou had found.

"Alright, Klein, Piotr, Hiroki, Hudak, go and get firewood if you can find it. The rest of you, get camp set up." Leonhard orders. They head about their tasks. Leonhard helps out and Matou keeps watch.

By nightfall, they have three fires set up, and two 6 legged crocodiles have been killed for food. The marines talk around the fires as the night grows late.

"Alright, shifts of four at a time. Standard drill. Let's get some rest so we can cover as much ground as possible tomorrow." Leonhard finally orders. The men obey. Matou goes to camp a little ways away, camouflaged. That way if the camp was attacked, he could ambush the attackers.

**16th of Rajiona, 6E219**

**Swamp, ?**

**~14:00**

Matou watches the fort from the trees. Having spotted the fort earlier, he had convinced Leonhard to stop a ways away. Matou now watched the fort to figure out the situation so he could give Leonhard proper intel. The fort itself was perhaps an hour away from the massive lake that they had passed a while ago. The white walls of the fort flew an azure flag with a gold lion emblazoned upon it. The soldiers wore standard, steel plate armor with died blue horse plumes on their helmets, and their surcoats were emblazoned with the gold lion. Formations of soldiers moved southward, as if heading to a battle. In which case, Matou figured there must be an opposing side. After getting a proper assessment of the fort, Matou doubles back to Leonhard.

"So, how does it look?" Leonhard asks, standing up from sitting on a tree stump.

"Well, they are clearly engaged with an enemy. But, they don't seem to be too hostile. I think we could parley." Matou informs Leonhard. Leonhard nods and thinks. He looks at his men.

"Jozef, bring me the white flag." Leonhard orders. A marine, presumably Jozef quickly comes forward with a white flag drawn from his pack. He hands it to Leonhard. "Alright, form up and follow me." Leonhard commands and then he begins moving, carrying the flag as they march in the direction of the fort. Matou meanwhile follows a little to the side of the formation.

Upon reaching the gates, the guards stop them.

"In the name of the Alliance, halt!" One of the guards commands. Matou raises an eyebrow. They could understand the language… interesting.

"We come under peace. We have marched from the east and mean no hostility. May I speak with your commander?" Leonhard responds calmly.

"Who are you? Your accent is not familiar." The second guard inquires.

"I am First Sergeant Leonhard Schuller of the Endarian Royal Marines, representing the Endarian Imperial Republic and Commonwealth Territories." Leonhard responds, bowing his head politely, respectfully.

"I don't recognize any of that…" The second guard responds. Him and the first guard then begin talking to each other. Finally, the second guard heads into the fort.

"The commander is being retrieved. Until then, don't try anything." The guard commands.

"You have my guarantee that we mean no harm." Leonhard promises.

Matou meanwhile is inspecting the defenses and assessing everything carefully. He is ready to respond to things going south at a moment's notice. He concludes the walls are in good shape, and paired with the guards' equipment, this 'Alliance' must be well equipped and funded.

Leonhard was just starting to wonder what was going on when the second guard returns with a blonde woman in plate armor.

"I am Commander Joanna Blueheart of Marshtide Watch. You are in Alliance Territory, what is your business here?" She asks.

"Well, I am not sure. We are an expeditionary group. We arrived here from the east. We represent to Endarian Empire." Leonhard replies. Joanna nods, but she is clearly confused.

"We know of no such land to the east." Joanna states.

"And we knew of no such land as this, nor any Alliance to the west. However, around a month ago, we noticed a change in the night sky as well as magical patterns. So we were sent to investigate. Now, here we are." Leonhard responds politely. Joanna nods and looks at Matou.

"Who is he?" She asks.

"I am Matou Takeda, Agent for the Endarian Royal Trimarchial Government. I'm an intelligence specialist." Matou speaks for himself. Joanna nods and mutters something about 'SI:7' and then looks at Leonhard.

"So are you here for diplomatic purposes?"

"Not specifically. We are an expeditionary group. We didn't know if there would be civilization. However, Matou is a technically a direct representative of the government and as I am a military leader, we can perform some diplomatic roles." Leonhard replies.

Joanna thinks for a bit, then sighs.

"Well, we're just a forward outpost. However, if what you say is true, this is a significant development. So, I'm going to send you with a detachment to Stormwind." Joanna informs.

"Stormwind is… your capital?" Leonhard asks.

"Correct."

"Very well. When should the detachment be ready?"

"A few hours, but since it is past noon already, you and your men can stay here and leave tomorrow. Just, leave your weapons with us." Joanna explains.

Leonhard nods. Matou frowns, but in the end, everyone hands over their weapons and is let inside.

**17th of Rajiona, 6E219**

**Silvermoon City, Eversong Woods, The Horde**

**~12:00**

Captain Sokolov nodded as he was led through the colorful city, a detachment of his soldiers in tow.

"Your city, Silvermoon, is very elegant." Sokolov says after a bit of silence, to the man leading him. The man in question was a pale skinned man with glowing green eyes, long pointed ears, blond hair, and a slender figure by the name of Kaelen Sunstrike.

"Thank you, Captain Sokolov. I will confess that the city has had its fair share of tragedies however." Kaelen responds.

"Regardless, it is quite a change from the matte colors of our winter homeland in Noveia."

"Ah yes, well, Silvermoon is the accomplishment of thousands of years of architecture."

"The work shows." Sokolov remarks. "This Lor'Themar Theron, I look forward to meeting him. It is my hope that him and Tsar Ivanovich III will be able to enjoy a most beneficial friendship." He continues, changing topics.

"That is my hope as well." Kaelen nods.

The group continues on in silence until they suddenly reach a series of bridges that lead to a large and elegant palace. Kaelen and Sokolov head inside while the rest of Sokolov's group is told to wait outside.

Inside, Sokolov was surprised to find that the main hall was rather small and quaint. However, the comforts were clearly top class. A trio of these 'blood elves' were talking among each other, but they fell silent when Sokolov walked in. They now all look at him.

"Greetings, on behalf of the Tsardom of Noveia and his Glorious Majesty, Tsar Ivanovich III." Sokolov bows.


	2. Part II

**21st of Rajiona, 6E219**

**The Citadel, Caer Endaris, Royal Rejionowa**

**~09:00**

"Elves?" General Komarovich asks as he reads over stack or papers. He has a perplexed face. "Like, honest to god, pointy eared bloody elves?"

The subordinate, a young captain, nods. "Aye sir, best our intelligence in Canda reports, the elves were a surprised to run into the Candans they were to find elves in white boats landing on their eastern shore." He reports.

"And this… Grey Havens is where they say they were bound?" General Komarovich inquires as he reads further along on another page.

"Er… yes, sir. The elves seem to consider it some sort of… final destination. Like… a land of peace or paradise or something. At least, that's what our agents in Canda have gathered. Communication is apparently at a stand still as the elves have no diplomatic connections." The captain explains.

"And this Middle Earth? Gondor, Rohan? These are the major human nations?" The General asks as he reads over a document titled "Report on nations and ethnic regions of Middle Earth".

"Correct, sir. There are others, namely Harad, Rhun, and some others. There is also the Shire, which is the territory of the Hobbits." The captain explains.

"Interesting. What about this?" The General asks as he holds up a document titled "Mordor and the 'Dark Lord Sauron'".

"Right… apparently there is a rogue state in Middle Earth, run by that one, Sauron. He has stated his desire of total conquest and has executed a series of wars without reasonable _casus belli_ to that end. The main targets of Mordor's aggression are the aforementioned Rohan and Gondor." He reports. "Furthermore, it appears that Mordor has had the upper hand in the fighting and Rohan and Gondor have begun to experience intense economic strain."

General Komarovich nods, chewing his lip. "Thanks." He stamps the documents and then puts them all in an envelope. "Get these to the Trimarchy, they will probably be interested in seeing this." He orders.

The captain salutes, takes the documents, and leaves.

General Komarovich sighs. He pulls a bottle of vodka out of his desk, pours himself a shot and downs a round. He then stands up to go for a walk in the Royal Park. He had a feeling he may be very busy in the coming days.

**23rd of Rajiona, 6E219**

**Ivory Palace, Caer Endaris, Royal Rejionowa**

**~07:00**

"You will be reporting at noon today to the harbor. Your mission will be taking you south-west to the Markesian Commonwealth, where you will meet up with a Markesian 9th Corps Platoon which will attach to your company. From there you will depart south-east and round the Horn of Canda and begin the long eastward journey to Middle Earth, where your goal is to begin a diplomatic mission to the peoples of Rohan, Gondor, The Shire, Mirkwood, the Lonely Mountain, Dale, the Iron Hills, Rivendell, and Lothlorien. The nation of Mordor is considered highly hostile and as such you are to be prepared for combat. To which end, I give you, under federal authority, the right to execute your mission by whatever means you find necessary to see your mission to success." High King Endarius Teledor speaks to the man before him, Captain Kasimir Clausewitz, a captain of the Royal Marines with a Raider certification. As part of the Royal Marine's elite forces, he was perhaps the best option available at a moment's notice.

"Aye, sir. Will my squad also be with me?" Captain Clausewitz asks.

Endarius nods. "Affirmative. You will meet up with them at the docks. You are dismissed with post haste." Endarius dismisses Kasimir, who salutes and departs quickly and makes his way to the docks.

**23rd of Rajiona, 6E219**

**ERS Królowa Wojny, Bay of Dalatar, Caer Endaris, Royal Rejionowa**

**~13:00**

Sergeant First Class Tramel Klein was the last on the ship. He helps Kasimir remove the gangplank and minutes later, the ship is slowly pulling away from the dock. He then looks around at his comrades, their medic, August Tiber, their marksman Victor Kevlov, their sappers Jozef Rilecki and Erik Adolphus, and the rest of his squad. He then looks at Kasimir.

"All present and accounted for, sir." Tramel salutes and reports. Kasimir simply chuckles.

"No need for such formalities, Sergeant. We're all brothers in arms, save the formalities for formal occasions." Kasimir waves off the salute.

Tramel chuckles. "Aye aye, cap'."

"What the fuck is a Middle Earth? Are they inside the planet? You can't be in the middle on a damn sphere. Do they mean Equatorial Earth? Still a rather bland and nigh taciturn name..." Junior Corporal Imad Ibn Rahad remarks as he sits on a crate above decks. Junior Corporal Walter Tronig and Akira Kusaragi look at him, amused.

"Do you ever stop complaining?" Walter asks, suppressing a chuckle.

"I'll stop complaining when there stops being things to complain about. Besides, I'm not complaining, I'm making a rational remark about the fundamental error the people of this continent have made in naming their continent." Imad retorts.

Akira laughs. "Still sounds like bitchin'." He remarks.

"Oi, screw off back to your sauna of an island, shorty." Imad pouts.

"Shorty?" Akira raises an eyebrow. "You do realize you are only two fingers' width taller than me, right?"

"Three times better looking than you though." Imad responds.

"Doesn't matter when we've never even seen you with a woman. We won't shun you if that's that the team you play for..." Walter speaks up quietly, smirking.

"Tsk, I just have particular tastes." Imad pouts.

"Yeah, he's dying alone." Akira chuckles.

"So, how bad d'ya think this Middle Earth is gonna be?" Private Erwin Kessel asks, looking at his comrades, Private Piotr Trebsky and Private Hans Ragnar.

"Well, if this Mordor is enough to have the advantage on to major powers, I would say it's not to preposterous to expect the situation to be rather shitty." Hans responds, as he reaches into the crate of dried apples and pulls one out. He bites into it and flops back on his hammock, staring at the boards of the ceiling, threads of light shining through the cracks.

"Agreed. Albeit, I do hope it's not so bad we don't make it back in one piece." Piotr remarks.

Erwin nods. "Well, we got Tramel with us, and Kasimir is almost as bright as his father and grandfather."

"Aye, though, I'll take Kasimir's smarts over the brains of an architect and an astronomer." Hans says, chuckling.

"Of course." Erwin nods.

"Nervous?" Piotr asks, looking at Erwin.

"Well… This is my first major mission, and it's into explicitly hostile territory. Territory we are wholly unfamiliar with. So, aye, I'd say I'm a tad nervous." Erwin replies.

"Don't worry. You'll do fine. Keep your head on straight, look after your mates, and don't be a hero, and you'll do just fine." Hans speaks reassuringly.

Erwin nods quietly.

**2nd of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**Stormwind Palace, Stormwind, Elwynn Forest, the Alliance**

**~11:00**

Matou and Leonhard bow before the man sitting on the throne in front of them, King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind and the Alliance.

"I am Matou Takeda, Agent of the Endarian Empire." Matou introduces himself.

"I am First Sergeant Leonhard Schuller in the Endarian Royal Marines." Leonhard follows up with his introduction.

"You come to my halls but my men report that you are not emissaries." King Wrynn responds.

"That we are not. However, we are able to, in some degree, represent the Endarian Imperial Republic. On my word and the honor of the nation of Endaria, I promise you that we are here under peaceful intentions however. We are simply a small expedition sent to investigate abroad after Endaria detected a change in our environment." Matou speaks up, taking the lead for his party.

"That may be so, but I must still be cautious, we are at war after all." King Wrynn replies. "You have had no contact with the Horde, correct?" He continues.

"Correct. You are the first group of people we have made contact with and all contact thus far has been with your people." Matou answers. He had been told of the Horde by their Alliance escorts during the journey to Stormwind.

"However, I am certain the Trimarchy would be most interested in establishing a discourse with the Alliance, your majesty." Leonhard speaks up.

King Wrynn looks at Leonhard. "What can your Empire offer?" He asks.

Leonhard straightens his back proudly. "Well, your majesty, firstly, vast amounts of raw resources, luxury resources, and foodstuffs. Furthermore, our industrial capacity is massive, allowing the production of immense amounts of goods." Leonhard explains.

"We also would prefer to be on friendly terms with the peoples of this new world we are investigating." Matou adds.

King Wrynn raises an eyebrow. "Including with the Horde?"

Matou nods. "Aye, your majesty. We wish to not get involved with any wars that do not serve the Endarian interest. We have no _casus belli_ on any group or nation in this world at present and as such, we wish to maintain a peaceful disposition."

King Wrynn nods. "Neutrality often means propping up both sides. Would you seek to trade with the Horde as well?" He asks, looking at Matou.

"That entirely depends upon diplomacy. Endaria will pursue the deals that best serve it." Matou explains.

"Spoken like a true realist..." King Wrynn nods. "I guess I see no reason not to at least dispatch an emissary to travel back with you." He continues.

Matou and Leonhard both bow.

"We are most pleased with that decision your majesty." Matou replies.

"I will make sure everything is ready by tomorrow. Until then, you may take your leave. Please obey the laws of the Alliance during your stay." King Wrynn dismisses them.

**4****th**** of ****Brze****szczny, ****6E219**

**Caer Markesia, Markesian Commonwealth**

**~13:00**

"Lieutenant Martov Anders, commander of Devil Platoon of the Markesian 9th Corps, at your service." Lieutenant Anders shakes Kasimir's hand. Kasimir smiles and observes the 43 men behind Anders. They all had the air of hardened, crack soldiers about them.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Anders." Kasimir replies.

"You must be tired. Lord Markosoran invites you and your men to enjoy the city for the evening." Lieutenant Anders smiles.

"Ah, wonderful. I could use a good stretch before we set out tomorrow." Tramel sighs in relief after hearing that.

"Thank you." Kasimir says simply, smiling.

"I won't keep you, as we have already been briefed on our mission. So, enjoy your stay in the city." Anders steps back and salutes Kasimir, who salutes back.

**~18:00**

"God, I fuckin' love this city!" Akira cheers.

Imad looks at him, surprised. "Why?"

"Well, it's clean for one. Gorgeous architecture and very splendid city planning. Not to mention, the weather is wonderful. It's like a vacation. I'd be drinking if I could sleep in." Akira replies, grinning.

Imad nods. "True, it's a nice city… Hey, what do you think Walter is up to?"

"Bah! He's probably getting some books from the palace library." Akira responds, thrusting a thumb at the palace, a gorgeous, massive building built on top of the towering plateau at the center of the concentric ring city. Half way up the plateau, a ring of the city had been built, a district that sat elevated above the rest of the city.

"You know, didn't the report mention that Gondor had a concentric ring city that had various elevations? Like Caer Markesia?" Imad wonders as he looks at the palace.

"Now that you mention it… I think you might be right. It will be interesting to see." Akira nods.

"Aye, agreed. Now, lets go find some food. I'm starving." Imad pats his belly for emphasis.

**~19:00**

"Go man! Grow a pair and talk to her!" Piotr pushes Erwin urgently, grinning.

"N-now, I don't think that's a good idea. I think she's looking at you." Erwin stammers an excuse as he almost spills his beer from being pushed.

"Nah, she is definitely checking you at, Erwin." Hans looks at Erwin, grinning.

Erwin glances at the woman in question. She was young, with sea green eyes and auburn hair. She smiles at him and waves. He simply blushes and sips his beer.

"Come on, man. We leave tomorrow, so what if you fuck it up." Piotr urges Erwin on.

"I just don't kno-" Erwin is interrupted by Hans and Piotr shoving him to the woman with a grin.

Erwin looks at the woman and blushes and greets her.

Piotr looks at Hans. "So, what now?"

"Hrm… Let's go hit a chess lounge." Hans says after a moment.

"Sounds good." Piotr nods and pays for his drink.

Hans pays for his drink and they leave to go find a lounge.

**~20:00**

"I'd say that about covers the list." Jozef says as he crosses off the items on the list. He finishes stowing everything in his pack. He looks at Erik.

"Aye, I don't think my pack can carry anymore and this is enough to get us through a couple sieges and battles." Erik agrees, nodding.

"Shall we get back then?" Jozef asks. He shoulders his pack.

"Yeah, let's stop and get a bite on the way back though." Erik responds. As if to agree with this proposal, his stomach growls. He chuckles. "Yeah, definitely time for dinner." He looks at Jozef and grins.

"Aye, I could go for some dinner as well. What should we get?" Jozef asks.

"Well, considering this may the last time we get some good Endarian food for a while, I say we go for some Motu cuisine. Nothing like something spicy before an adventure." Erik grins. But Jozef just shakes his head and laughs.

"Yeah, when you're on land maybe. Camping the toilet on a ship because you ate something damn hot is a bad way to start an adventure." Jozef responds.

"So? It's good food." Erik shrugs.

"Fair point. I guess some Motu wouldn't be bad. Let's go." Jozef concedes and gets moving. Erik follows him.

**5th of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**~06:00**

Erwin yawns and rubs his eyes as he waits to board the ship. Cargo was first to be taken onboard. He sighs tiredly. It was this early and already, it was hot and humid. Piotr, Hans, and Imad look at Erwin. Hans raises an eyebrow. Piotr leans over and sniffs Erwin. Erwin tiredly gives Piotr and odd look, but Piotr was grinning wildly.

"I smell a lady's perfume." Piotr is the first to speak.

Erwin blushes and looks around. Now Akira, Jozef, and Erik were looking at him too. Jozef, Akira, and Hans were all grinning. Imad and Erik and a glint of amusement in their eyes.

"Well, little Erwin has done us proud." Hans laughs and pats Erwin on the back. "We told you she was eyeing you."

"Do we have to talk about this right now? This is kind of a personal matter..." Erwin speaks quietly, embarrassed. He glances around and looks at the ship, wishing he could go ahead and board.

"Come on! This is a cause for celebration! How did it go my man? How long did you last?" Piotr pries, grinning.

"I'm not talking about it." Erwin responds.

Walter glances over at the group. "Now, let Erwin be. If he doesn't want to talk about it, then let him stand by his decision. Pat him on the back and then drop it." He speaks up. Erwin sighs in relief and to his good fortune, the others let him be.

"Alright! All aboard!" Kasimir calls out a moment later. The entire group sighs in relief and begins boarding the ship.

"Say your goodbyes men! This is the last time we will be seeing Endaria for a long time!" Tramel shouts as he boards the ship and removes the gangplank. The men glance at the town and take in the sight as the ship begins to pull away from the city.


	3. Part III

**6th of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**Węlke, Vardenholm Prefecture, Stromsgard Region**

**~17:00**

The workshop was a mess. Plates, cups, and cast off articles of clothing littered the workshop, mingling with the various pieces of equipment, tables of papers and books, tools, and materials. A scruffy young man, with dirty blond hair, Matrellus Barenzian was snoring, head down at a desk. There were bags under his eyes, a clear sign of rather poor sleeping habits. Golden light from the sun streamed in through the few windows, making everything seem even more disorderly. As the man slept, a girl walked in. She looked a bit younger than him, a late adolescent. She looks at him and frowns. She shakes her head and sits at another desk and looks over some documents. She then begins to work, writing stuff down on blank sheets of paper.

Suddenly there is a dull thud as something hits the floor. The girl looks at the source of the sound, Matrellus Barenzian. He stirs, sits up, and groans.

"Unh… what the hell?" He mutters as he looks around and orients himself.

"You fell asleep. Maybe you should try living more healthily." She informs him. Matrellus looks at her and shrugs. Who knows if he would listen to her advice.

"When did you come in, Ani?" Matrellus asks. Ani was short for Anieczka Eichmann, Matrellus' apprentice. Her mother was from the Struyetsk Region, where she was raised, and her father was a migrant from the Konig Region. Her black hair was tied back in a purely functional ponytail. She was a bit better kept than Matrellus, but the loose ends in her hair and the shadows under her eyes suggested she herself could do with some attention as well.

"Oh, a few minutes. I figured I would run the math on the Model 7 designs for the Royal Navy." She explains. Matrellus just lazily nods and walks over to her. "Ew, stay away. You smell." She scowls at him, piercing him with her grey blue eyes. Matrellus cocks his head and sniffs himself.

"I don't smell anything..." He responds quietly.

"No wonder you have no luck with the ladies…" Ani mutters. She looks him over. "Go get a bath. I can at least do the math while you are away." She says to him, almost an order. Matrellus scratches his head and lets out a reluctant sigh.

"Alright…" He mumbles as he walks away and out of the workshop.

The workshop was connected to rather nice house. Not massive by any standards, but the furnishings were clearly high end, belying the wealth of the owner. Matrellus pays no heed to these things though, and instead walks to a the bathroom. Węlke was built over a massive underground water system, and as such, the availability of water was abundant.

There was a water organ in the bathroom for drawing water. The city had a sewage, plumbing and even a network of hypocausts. Those with enough money could buy a double pump water organ. One pump accessed the water below the city directly. The other pumped from one of the underground pools scattered throughout the city. This pool had another room under it, that was filled with furnaces for heating the water. Matrellus walks over to the water organ and pumps from the hot water pump into a bucket. He pours the bucket into the tub and repeats the process until the tub is full of water.

"Wish this city had access to volcanic springs..." Matrellus mutters as he strips and then slips into the tub. In the Sugari Boshi Commonwealth, as well as in the mountain ranges, the prevalence of the _onsen_ had made hot water not a luxury, but rather a common amenity that most houses had. This was thanks to the islands and some mountains being volcanic, and thus there were reservoirs of hot water, both above and underground. As such, there was no need to have a water heating network under the house.

Matrellus closes his eyes and relaxes in the bath, theories and ideas shooting through his head as he ponders. He was also, of course, interested on what may come of these Elves and Middle Earth. Or even more, was that the only thing out there. They appeared to somehow, as a continent, have been transported to a new world. Perhaps there were even more new lands out there. If there were, what discoveries were in store, and what could be derived from those discoveries? This thought motivates him and he quickly washes up. He gets out and gets dressed. He then grooms his face a bit and then heads back to the workshop.

"Ani, pack your bags." He orders as he collects and rolls up a number of papers and stuffs them, along with a number of books and tools into a pack.

"What? What is going on?" Anieczka asks, looking at Matrellus, bewildered.

"We're going to do some field work. But first, we have to head to Caer Endaris." He informs her. Anieczka's eyes light up and she smiles, jumping once.

"Field work? And I get to go this time? You never let me go!" Anieczka responds giddily, quickly packing things into a pack. Once finished with that, she looks at him. "I'll get ready now!" She adds and rushes off. Matrellus shakes his head, amazed by her sudden, childish energy. He then shoulders his pack and heads to his room to pack a second pack with clothes.

**9th of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**Camp Raginis, Gliwicz Province, Struyetsk Region **

**~11:00**

"Atakowacz!" The order is shouted by a man on a hill. The air is then broken with the thunder of hooves and a cheer of 'urrah' by the mounted soldiers. The storm of hooves, a 50 man charge, thunders down the hill and into a crowd of straw dummies. The cavalry proceeds to impale the dummies on the long pointed, light lances and continue riding, leaving the lances in the gored dummies. A few riders on the exterior of the formation have broken formation slightly.

"Very good, but keep formation. No spreading out unless you have cleared the enemy formation. Otherwise you may be surrounded and eliminated." The man on the hill instructs as he walks down the hill. The soldiers dismount, nodding as they retrieve their lances. "You're not as heavily armed or armored as the Husaria or Cataphracts. Your advantage is speed, don't slow down, and don't get bogged down in extended combat. As Uhlans, your job is to hit hard, hit fast, and get out." The man continues his lecture. The soldiers just nod. One of them raises their hand. The instructor looks at him and nods for him to speak.

"But, Captain Tadeusz-" The soldier speaks but is interrupted.

"We're in camp. It's Captain Mazurek." The instructor corrects the soldier.

"Yes sir! I was wanting to ask, if we do get bogged down, what is our best option?" The soldier asks. Captain Tadeusz Mazurek nods.

"Good question, Private. In the unfortunate chance you get cut off from your group, or get stuck in a situation you can't disengage from, you need to either stay out of the reach of the enemy, lest they pull you from your horse, or dismount and draw your saber. The Sr.46-C saber is reliable and as long as you don't neglect your practice, it will get your through thick and thin. Just make sure you take care of it." Captain Tadeusz answers the soldier's question, pointing at the simple but functional saber at the soldier's waist for emphasis. The soldier nods and salutes. "Any other questions?" Captain Tadeusz asks, looking around at everyone. They all shake their heads.

"Very well. Dismissed. Enjoy your lunch and report to First Sergeant Von Heinheim for physical training." Captain Tadeusz claps his hands and dismisses the soldiers. They all salute, and retrieve their horses to return to the stables. Tadeusz sighs and walks through the training camp to his office. He stops by the Officer's Canteen to get a cup of tea. Sipping his tea, he returns to his office and looks over the unread documents on his desk.

"Middle Earth huh? New world?" He mutters as he reads over the documents, sitting in his chair. "This is going to shake up foreign relations..." Tadeusz sighs and rubs his face. He sips his tea and continues reading.

After some time, there comes a knock at his door.

"Enter!" Tadeusz calls out. In response, a woman enters. She's in uniform as well. A captain as well. "Ah, Captain Schuller." Tadeusz greets her with a smile. She shakes her head.

"Just call me Klara. You know I hate formalities Tadeusz." She says plainly, staring at him with her blue, almost turquoise eyes. Her eyes would make most people squirm. She had a much more intense air than her brother, Leonhard. Tadeusz just sighs.

"Yeah… sorry, Klara. Anyhow, what's up?" Tadeusz responds. He wasn't upset. He was used to Klara's brusque personality. He looks her over. She had a powerful frame. Feminine, but clearly well honed from lots of exercise and military training. The sides of her head were shaved and her blond hair was tied in a short tail. Perhaps not the most ladylike look, but she was a soldier before anything else.

"If you're gonna keep looking me over like that, buy me dinner first." Klara crosses her arms. There is a hint of humor to her voice, but she maintains a serious face. Tadeusz frowns.

"Oh sod off. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on." Tadeusz retorts, amused.

"That's no way to charm a lady." Klara replies.

"Good thing there are no ladies here." Tadeusz grins. Klara breaks a small smile and snorts in amusement.

"Fuck you, Tadeusz." She says, shaking her head. "Anyhow, I'm here to make a request." She continues, digressing back to the original topic.

"Yeah? What's up?" Tadeusz inquires.

"Inventory. I'm waiting on the latest shipment of Ls.58's to come in, and with the new recruits, I have a shortage of the swords. Could you temporarily write off a transfer from the cavalry inventory for us to borrow some of the old Sr.38's and Sr.38-C's?" Klara asks. Tadeusz shrugs and pulls a paper out of his desk.

"Well, sure. But the Ls.58 is a straight blade longsword. A bit of a different beast from the Sr.38, you might reinforce bad habits." Tadeusz replies as he writes something in on the paper and then signs.

"I'm aware Tadeusz, but it's better than nothing, and we had to transfer the last of the Ls.44 longswords over to Camp Hirakawa in Ino to supply the marine recruits." Klara responds.

"Fair enough. Here, take it to the quartermaster." Tadeusz hands her the paper. Klara takes it and nods.

"Thanks." She then turns around and leaves. Tadeusz simply shakes his head and sighs.

"Not even a goodbye..." He mutters and chuckles. He then finishes his tea and gets back to reading.

**15th of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**Swamp of Sorrows, Eastern Kingdoms, Contested Territory**

**~12:00**

The ERS Equinas was waiting just offshore. Matou was watching the swamp as Leonhard and the marines helped to get the diplomatic entourage from the Alliance into the dinghies. He frowned as he watched the trees. He was pretty sure that they had strayed too close to Horde controlled territory in the swamps on the journey back, and the likelihood of there being a Horde party following them was likely. He cursed silently. Why the King had let his son, Anduin, join the entourage was a mystery to him. The only thing it did was make more problems. If the Horde knew the Prince of Stormwind was with them, they would not hesitate to attack.

"Alright Matou, we're all loaded. Get your pale, milky ass on the dinghy and lets go!" Leonhard calls out to Matou. Matou nods and slowly turns away, scanning the trees one last time before jumping on the dinghy and pushing it into the water with one foot. The marines begin rowing. As they start to pull away from the shore, there is a roar from the tree line.

"Lok'Tar Ogar!" The voice roars as a number of large, muscular, green men charge out of the treeline, along with some tall, lithe blue skinned men. Matou calmly draws his bow and an arrow. He knocks the arrow and draws back the string, aiming the bow.

"Back off!" Matou orders, firmly and calmly. "We desire no conflict!" He continues.

"You carry enemies of the Horde into Horde territory! You will return to shore and surrender them to us and face questioning!" One of the green men shouts back. Orcs, that's what the Alliance called them, Matou recalls.

"They are under the protection of the Endarian Empire!" Matou responds. "We do not want any hostilities! Cease and desist or we will be forced to defend ourselves and our charges!" That seems to irritate the orc. He says something to his men and a number of the blue ones, Trolls, seem to prepare some sort of magic. The orcs seem ready to throw their axes, and a few with bows ready them. There was a total of 40 orcs and trolls on the beach. Matou casts a small spell on the arrow and releases it. The tip glows a bright, pinkish-purple. The arrow slams into the ground in front of the orcs and trolls.

"You think a warning shot will do any-" The orc is interrupted by seeing a bright, purple-blue flash of light from the ERS Equinas. Moments later, that flash of light has streaked across the distance and slams into the ground in the middle of the group. The violet explosion from the impact is loud, and those not caught directly in the blast are thrown away by the shockwave. When the dust clears, there is 12 dead bodies, mutilated, with parts scattered around. About 20 others are wounded, some missing limbs. They look at the group as the regroup. The dinghies were to far away now. The Horde collects its wounded and falls back into the trees to avoid a possible second strike.

Matou puts away his bow and sighs.

"You goddamn fool! The Horde could consider that an act of war! We don't want hostilities!" Leonhard curses and shouts at Matou. Matou just stares at Leonhard expressionlessly, his sky blue eyes seeming to pierce into Leonhard's soul.

"You saw them, Leonhard. They were ready to attack." Matou responds calmly.

"How in the fuck can you remain so calm? You may have started a bloody war!" Leonhard scowls angrily at Matou. Matou simply shrugs.

"Go ahead and hand over the entourage then. I'm sure that Varian will greatly appreciate you handing over his only child and heir to his enemy." Matou replies plainly. Anduin Wrynn, Prince of Stormwind, happened to be in the dinghy. He looks at them.

"Please, representatives of Endaria, don't fight. Regardless of how justified Matou was in his actions, we can't be fighting among ourselves." Anduin speaks up. Leonhard looks at Anduin and sighs.

"You majesty..." Leonhard seems to want to dispute Anduin's point. In the end, he concedes and calms down. "You're right. Besides, maybe things can be smoothed over." Leonhard says, reluctantly. Anduin smiles.

Not long after, they reach the ERS Equinas and board the ship. Wasting no time, the ship gets on the move, looking to put distance between the Horde and the Alliance entourage. Matou heads on below decks to put some stuff away in his locked chest. Leonhard takes the entourage and leads them to where they will be able to stay during the trip. The entourage was composed of a representative from each member state of the Alliance. A Draenei from the Exodar, a human from Stormwind, a Night Elf from Darnassus, a Dwarf and Gnome from Ironforge, and a Worgen from Gilneas, as well as the Stormwind prince.

Anduin was very interested in the politics of Endaria, having been first told about the electoral system, Trimarchy, and democratic nature of the country by Matou. Since then, he had been frequently seeking opportunities to get more informed about Endaria, though Matou usually directed him to Leonhard, who was the more talkative type.

After putting his things away, Matou heads above decks and watches the horizon. Who knew if they had seen the last of the Horde.


	4. Part IV

**17th of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**Old Town Ward, Caer Endaris, Royal Rejionowa**

**~09:00**

It was a sunny day, and already promising to be quite warm. Treymarch sat outside the small coffee lounge, sipping a cup of black coffee and watching down the streets. He was waiting for someone, and they had just shown themselves. A young lady, grey eyes, white hair, pale skin. She was wearing pants and a sleeveless gambeson, emblazoned over the left breast with a small, silver eagle wielding a sword and oak leaves, the symbol of the Endarian military. She soon sees Treymarch and nods to him. She walks over and sits down across from him.

"Mornin' Kirin. Don't worry, I ordered you your regular." Treymarch greets her as she sits at the table with him.

"Morning, Treymarch, and thanks." She replies. Her voice is soft and cool. To the casual stranger, Kirin could easily be mistaken as a cold and unfriendly person. Treymarch knew better though. They had basically grown up together. A few moments after she sat down, a coffee, brewed with ground cocoa powder and a splash of goat's milk and cane sugar is brought to Kirin and she takes it, sipping it and looking at Treymarch.

"Kind of odd, just the two of us." Treymarch remarks after a moment. Kirin nods and sets her coffee down. Treymarch in turn sips his coffee.

"True, but Matou is a tad busy." Kirin responds.

"Aye. Have you heard from the pigeon?" Treymarch asks. Kirin nods and sips her drink, thinking before she responds.

"Yes. I was actually put in charge of the decryption and analysis of the report, being that I have the most experience with Matou's encryption skills." Kirin replies.

"Right, he uses a rather unique style, yes?" Treymarch asks. Kirin again nods.

"Yes, you could say that. His is certainly different from the other agents. He first uses a special syllable moving cipher in which the first and last syllables are switched on words with two or more syllables. He then uses a special shift cipher, in which the number of letters shifted are included in the encryption key, itself a poem, in which the number of lines per stanza are the number of shifts to the left or right. Then, if the poem is in iambic pentameter, then it is a left shift, and if the poem is in iambic hexameter then it is a right shift. Finally, is the third level of encryption and thus the first level that you have to break. The numerical encryption. In this, every letter in the message is assigned a number. However, in our alphabet, which possesses 30 letters, the system is a bit unique, in that it isn't a normal direct encryption in which A equals 1. Rather instead, A might be… 5. In this regard, you look to the number of stanzas in the poem. The number of stanzas in this case would be 5. The number of stanzas tells you what number to divide by to reach the direct number correlation. Now, in some cases, with top level documents, Matou won't stop there. If there is a change from iambic pentameter to hexameter or the other way around, then that indicates the second paragraph follows a new code system, to which you then, use the poem from that point on to translate the second paragraph. Conversely, the first paragraph would be translated using only the first part of the poem. There can, of course, be multiple shifts back and forth. I've seen him do up to twelve shifts before. That one was a pain to decode. But, I won't deny. His triple level, morphing encryption method is incredibly effective." Kirin explains. Treymarch nods and sips his drink as she explains.

"Well damn. Do they pay you overtime?" Treymarch asks, chuckling. Kirin laughs and shakes her head.

"No, but this is why Matou buys my drinks. I told him that's the price of having me put up with his ridiculous encryption." She replies.

"Well, the message was certainly interesting..." Treymarch says, sipping his drink. Kirin nods.

"Indeed. The Alliance… Horde… What will be their card?" Kirin mutters, thinking.

"Well, for all of Endaria's publicizing for desire for peace, it looks like we are standing by for the worst. Increased troop movements, military spending was just bumped up a little bit, Ley Crystals from Caer Lumonelles' Arsenal being moved to ports, and subsidizing the steel and lumber industries..." He remarks. He finishes his drink and waves to the server for another one. Kirin nods in agreement.

"Right. Quietly, Endaria is preparing for the worst. Markesia, Arctura, Sugari Boshi, and Gdanzaw all filed their reports recently. They too are mobilizing certain units and economic sectors that had been frozen. So, while we may not be putting it out to the public, the country as well as many of the commonwealths seem to be moving to standby." Kirin affirms.

"What is your opinion on it all? Think there will be a war?" Treymarch asks. Kirin thinks as she drinks. Treymarch's second coffee is brought out.

"Personally? I think so." Kirin states her opinion rather plainly after a moment. Treymarch nods.

"Why?" He inquires.

"Well, the nature of the factions. This Horde and the Alliance, they've got a long history of conflict. Not only that, but the totality of the conflict… It's not a series of skirmishes. It's full on war. To that end, I don't think the factions will let us establish trade with both sides. But if we pick one side to trade with, well… that would be too much help and the other side would be forced to stop our trade ships. How long until that turns into destroying our ships?" Kirin explains her answer in a direct and purely realist manner. She doesn't sugarcoat it.

"Well, that's optimistic..." Treymarch remarks, chuckling. Kirin just shrugs and finishes her drink. "Think we could just stay out of it all, just go isolationist?" Treymarch continues. Kirin immediately shakes her head.

"Noveia certainly will pursue an alliance once they learn of the factions. We have to have allies against Noveia and also… we still do need trade." Kirin explains simply.

"Well, that's a shame. That means two wars probably. I doubt this Sauron bloke is the most cordial and peaceful. I'm damn certain we will end up having to fight him." Treymarch comments.

"I'm not to worried about that one, honestly. From the descriptions, his military is essentially just a horde with loose chains of command and it relies on its overwhelming numbers to win. Say we send the 14th Cavalry Army Group along with the 7th Army, the 3rd Fleet, and the 9th Royal Marines Army Corps. That's a fraction of our army and still I think that would be enough to turn the tide. We have the most powerful weapon on our side." Kirin grins.

"Oh?" Treymarch raises an eyebrow.

"Logistics." Kirin states, smiling. Treymarch laughs and finishes his second coffee.

**21st of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**ERS K****rólowa** **Wojny, The Candan Ocean**

**~14:00**

"Water… and after that more fuckin' water." Imad complains, watching the ocean as the ship sailed on. The ERS Malignancy and the ERS Harkfurst could be seen under sail in the distance. He throws back a swig of vodka and groans.

"So… did Endaria hire you as a professional complainer, or are you just naturally a bitch?" Walter remarks, looking up from a book he was reading. Akira, who was sipping on a whiskey and water based grog, snorts and spits out his drink, laughing. He looks at Imad and Walter.

"Damn, how you going to answer to that, Imad?" Akira inquires. Imad shoots Akira a glare, then returns his attention to Walter.

"I don't want to hear that from a person who's name rhymes with water." Imad fires back. Walter raises an eyebrow and cocks his head.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Walter asks.

"You, a blight upon my life, have a name that rhymes with water, which is also, presently, a blight upon my life. So fuck you too." Imad glares at Walter. Walter simply smirks and returns to reading. Imad then looks back out to see before looking at the bow of the ship, where Victor, the squad designated marksman, was sitting, reading as he cleaned his equipment. Like usual, he was by himself. Silently, Imad wondered what all he had seen. Victor wasn't originally a Raider for the Royal Marines. He was an Endarian Agent. He was trained as an assassin, spy, guerilla fighter, interrogator, and tactical analyst. But something had happened to make him transfer a mere few months from completing training, into the Raiders. Had something traumatic gotten him to transfer? It would have had to be severe, agents went through some of the harshest and most intense emotional and mental training of any know unit or organization in Endaria. It would take a lot to break one. At least, that's what Imad thought. He considered asking Victor, but he never worked up the nerve to ask. Prickly and curt were an understatement when it came to Victor. But, the whole squad trusted him with an almost religious fervor. Victor had saved their lives multiple times over. Just as he was considering trying to strike a conversation with Victor, Victor finished cleaning his equipment, stood up, and headed below decks.

"Well, I fold." Kasimir sighs and sets his cards down with a sigh. Tramel looks at him. Jozef and Hans maintain their poker faces.

"Didn't know it was that bad for you Kas. Oh well, good show." Tramel remarks before returning his attention to the game.

"Oh what would you do with a drunken sailor! What would you do with a drunken sai-!" Erik sings loudly, but he is interrupted by a shout from across the room by Tramel and Jozef telling him to shut up. Erik laughs and throws back another long swig of rum.

"You're drunk." Piotr remarks plainly, looking at Erik. Erik looks at him and grins.

"What about it? Nothing else to do. Besides, it helps with the sway of the ship. Ship sways left, you sway right and vice versa." Erik defends himself. Erwin chuckles and Piotr simply shakes his head.

"Well, I mean, it's a valid point, but I don't think you're allowed..." Erwin states.

"Oi! Kas! Can I get drunk!?" Erik calls out to Kasimir.

"Fuck me if I give a shit." Kasimir replies.

"Permission granted." Erik grins and takes another drink. Erwin and Piotr simply shake their heads and sigh.

**24th of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**Ashcroft Family Estate, Goethel Province, Konig Region**

**~11:00**

It was a warm day and sunny, without a cloud in sight and so, the Ashcroft Estate was abuzz with life. Family members, butlers, and maids meandered through the extensive gardens behind the manor. On the rolling hills on the east flank of the estate, two men and a woman were riding horses. To the west flank, four middle aged men were playing some sort of game in a sand pit, in which a leather ball was kicked or headbutted back and forth between the players. The players could not touch the ball with their hands, and if they dropped the ball, they lost a point. They were laughing, and a butler stood to the side with refreshments for the gentleman. The long path up to the manor from the front of the property on the south side was currently being groomed by servants.

Inside the manor, things were equally idyllic. In the dining room, some of the older men were drinking whiskey and smoking cigars and reminiscing over old stories. One of the younger gentlemen was getting sweet on a maid behind the stairs. Two women were browsing a set of books and maps, talking about vacation plans. In the basement of the manor, Graham Ashcroft was busy fencing. He was dueling with a couple of members of the provincial fencing team, though Graham had a clear advantage. After finishing his current duel, Graham steps out of the ring and lets another duelist take his place. He accepts a glass of water from a butler.

"Good match. I think I'm done for the day though." Graham says as he drinks his water. He looks at the butler. "How long was I practicing?"

"About an hour and a half, Master Ashcroft." The butler reports. Graham nods.

"Very good." Graham comments and brushes his hair out of his eyes, as it had fallen over his face during the duel. Like all of the Ashcroft bloodline, his hair had the iconic Ashcroft silver-white color and his eyes were equally iconic, a pale grey. After finishing his water and handing the empty glass over to the butler, Graham goes into a side room and changes into some more civil clothes. He then heads upstairs. He whistles a tune as he walks into the kitchen and fetches an orange from the pantry. He gets it peeled by the kitchen staff and then heads into the garden where he meets his father.

"Ah, hello Graham. Good to see you, I was about to send for you." Henry Ashcroft calls out to Graham as he walks over.

"Hello, father. What did you need?" Graham asks, his tone, while friendly, suggested there was a little distance between him and his father.

"Well, Endaria has asked a favor of us." Henry informs Graham.

"Oh? In that case, I must be wanted for a diplomatic mission." Graham reasons, nodding. Henry nods in confirmation.

"Indeed. Walk with me." Henry says as he begins to walk through the gardens. He takes two glasses of wine from a butler, handing one to Graham, who accepts it and sips from the glass as he walks alongside his father.

"So, what's my mission?" Graham asks after a moment, breaking the quiet.

"Well, Endaria can't exactly negotiate with the Horde and Alliance both through official methods due the enmity and state of war between the sides. However, Endaria would like to keep itself neutral and to avoid the Horde assuming that Endaria is swaying towards the Alliance, Endaria has asked us to step in and help out by sending an envoy under the guise of the Ashcroft Family Trading Company to negotiate on their behalf." Henry explains, sipping his wine and passing by a water fountain. Graham nods, easily understanding the logic of the mission.

"When am I due to head out?" Graham asks.

"Tomorrow morning. I've rented a drake to fly you to Caer Daegen, where you will hop on one of our ships and sail down the river and to sea. You'll probably be onboard for two months or more, as Orgrimmar is on a separate continent from Stormwind, and it is far more distant." Henry informs Graham, who just nods more and drinks his wine.

"Alright. I'll make sure to be ready. Do you have an introductory letter for me to present to the Horde?" Graham asks. Henry nods and hands Graham two letters. One stamped with the Trading Company seal, the other stamped with the Royal Seal of Endaria. Graham takes them and puts them away. "Very good. I'll go and get packing immediately." Graham finishes his wine and hands the glass to a maid that was nearby. Without a farewell, he leaves his father and heads into the manor to pack.


	5. Part V

**27th of Brzeszczny, 6E219**

**The Arsenal, Caer Markesia, Markesian Commonwealth**

**~11:00**

Wearing a white cape, trimmed in azure blue and held to the outfit by carved steel epaulets over a dark blue gambeson, gray pants, and high leather boots, Lord Markosoran Layamalore was the image of authority in the Arsenal. The Arsenal itself was a massive fortified ward outside the city proper. Massive canals and snaked through the Arsenal, ending in various inlets, where ships were under construction. Surrounding these inlets were workshops, bunkhouses, mess halls, and warehouses. Within the Arsenal was the means to build and arm a ship from the first planks all the way to the point it was commissioned. Lord Markosoran Layamalore was present today to inspect the construction and process of the newest of the _Honorable_-Class Light Assault Ships, the MRS _Valorous_. At present, the 130 meter long ship was no more than the wooden hull and the interior was all but empty except for the mechanical housing for much of its armament. Workers rushed about, to and fro, on scaffolds and along the incomplete deck of the ship, skillfully doing their various assigned jobs, while others ran supplies from the warehouse to the various stations that needed a resupply. One building, a fortified workshop, had glowing, arcane light coming from the windows, and it was heavily guarded. Only specific workers were admitted into the building.

"At present, we appear to be on schedule to commission her in four months, as planned, sir." The master builder informs, going over reports as he walked with Lord Layamalore.

"Very good. What about budget?" Lord Layamalore inquires, looking at the master builder, who almost has to stifle a chuckle.

"Well, sir, with the budget you give us, we're technically under budget. But, by the standard of this class, yeah, about right on budget." The master builder informs, to which Lord Layamalore nods.

"Better to have too much money than not enough, Master Eadon. Such a policy is how we managed to build the greatest fleet the empire has seen. Such a standard of quality and performance is not achieved by cutting corners." Lord Layamalore comments calmly as he observes the transferal of large steel rods to the fortified workshop.

"Of course, sir. I am simply saying, that the budget is not one to worry about." Eadon replies.

"Any issues with the Catalytic Steel?" Lord Layamalore inquires.

"Not as of yet, sir. Though, we are running low on ley crystals. We could use another shipment sooner rather than later." Eadon informs.

"Consider it already ordered, Master Eadon." Lord Layamalore affirms.

"Thank you, sir." Eadon bows his head gratefully.

"Keep up the good work." Lord Layamalore says as he turns and heads on to inspect other projects.

**2nd of Gornow, 6E219**

**The skies, Goethel Province, Konig Region**

**~09:00**

Yukari raised her arms out to either side and felt the wind race against her body as her mount, a dull green Southern Highlander Drake named Bromley, raced over the trees and rivers of the land below. The day was promising to be warm and sunny with mild winds. She let a gleeful laugh out as she basked in the freedom of flying. The sharp roar of a drake to her left grabs her attention. She looks over to see her comrade, Liamme Grau, watching her from the back of his mount, a Desert Sand Drake by the name of Sphynx. He nods to her softly and returns his attention forward. She grins and looks to her right, where Witold Morwynzki was burning the sights into his eyes from the back of his Island Fruit Drake, a small framed dragon characterized by its almost entirely meat free diet. She looked forward to seeing what he painted from the sights he saw today.

After a few moments, Yukari raised her whistle to her lips and blows into it, grabbing the attention of her comrades. They look to her and she makes a rapid forward hand gesture. Her comrades nod, and she and they put on their goggles and suddenly drive their mounts to accelerate. Yukari then gives a soft tug on the reins of her mount, and her mount begins ascending higher into the sky. She draws the fur collar of her coat closer to her neck, and she tightens her scarf.

She levels out her mount just below the clouds and looks around to make sure her comrades are still with her. They nods to her and give her thumbs up. She proceeds to sign to them, 'Shall we continue, or should we head back?' Witold signs back that he wishes to keep going, Liamme signs that he is fine with returning. Yukari nods and decides to continue. She steers her mount onward, and her comrades race to keep up.

**6th of Gornow, 26E219**

**Bay of Dalatar, Caer Endaris, Royal Rejionowa**

**~15:00**

Matou chews his lip and watches as their ship pulls into harbor. The Alliance contingent stood on deck, taking in the sight of the massive city before them. There was an unmistakable sense of wondrous surprise in their eyes. No doubt, the appearance of a new faction was surprising enough, but one that was fully established and not a small city state or order was something else. The various representatives talked quietly among themselves. Leonhard walks over to him.

"Well, they certainly seem stunned." Leonhard comments as he watches the contingent.

"No doubt they are talking about how to secure us as an ally. No doubt they would hope to use us in their war against the Horde." Matou replies.

"Aye. No doubt Ol' Endarius has sent an envoy to the Horde as well already." Leonhard states.

"Doubt they will like that. I also have a feeling neither side will like us as a neutral player. We're going to end up involved at some point." Matou observes.

"Pessimistic observation." Leonhard looks at Matou, who seemed as indifferent as ever.

"While I doubt either faction's industrial capacity is as high as ours, based on the books, they are both clearly strong enough to cause us an issue. Pair that with the fact that Canda and Noveia have no doubt sent their own diplomats to the various factions by now… well, both factions will realize that any of us would provide a sizable benefit to them, and a major threat if one of us sided with the enemy. It's simple power play dynamics. We can't play it neutral because we can't guarantee Candan and Noveian neutrality and to play things neutral would be too much a benefit to the enemy in the eyes of both sides." Matou explains as the ship pulls in to dock.

"Yeah… it's still frustrating." Leonhard comments, scratching his head.

"Just diplomacy." Matou responds plainly, hopping off the deck and onto the dock below before the gang plank had gone down.

Leonhard shakes his head and sighs.


End file.
